Noting that the case sent a ripple of fear through the community, a Lehigh County judge on Wednesday sent a 16-year-old boy who admitted he sexually assaulted a girl in the basement of Allentown's Dieruff High School to a locked juvenile facility for sex offender treatment.

Lehigh County Judge Kelly L. Banach asked Anthony Casio to consider how his crime affected the parents of other students.

"If I'm a mother of a girl who goes to Dieruff High School, do I now have to be concerned that someone is going to entice my daughter, or drag my daughter into the basement?" she said. "I'm sure this has caused the school quite a headache."

Casio, a freshman at Dieruff, was 15 at the time of the May 18 incident. He was initially charged with rape, but admitted to a lesser charge of sexual assault at a hearing last month.

On the day of the sex assault, a juvenile probation official said, Casio admitted that he was under the influence of alcohol.

The teen did not speak in court, except to answer "yes, ma'am" when Banach asked him a question.

The 16-year-old victim and her mother were in the courtroom Wednesday but did not testify. Prosecutors talked "at length" with the girl's family members, who agreed to the resolution in the case, according to a statement released last month by the district attorney's office.

The sex assault case is just the latest problem for the school district, which was rebuked by the U.S. Department of Justice last week for its poor handling of sexual harassment claims.

In a 143-page court filing June 23, the department's Civil Rights Division said Allentown School District officials have failed to comply with a consent decree the district accepted as part of a settlement in a lawsuit over the sexual abuse of five Central Elementary School students by an older boy in 2003 and 2004.

Federal officials said the ongoing issues demonstrate why the district should remain under the supervision of officials until 2017.

Casio's disposition — the juvenile court equivalent of sentencing — was made at the recommendation of juvenile probation officer Vincent Pioli. He told the judge that two mental health experts had evaluated the teen and found he suffered from emotional issues, including a "high level of impulsivity."

Casio admitted having failing grades because he skipped school more often than he attended, Pioli told the judge.

Pioli called the victim "very credible" and "courageous."

He also noted that the sex offense affected the school community.

"Parents were afraid to send their children to school," Pioli said. "He affected more people than just those in this courtroom."

Casio will undergo his treatment at Abraxas Youth and Family Services, a secure detention center in Morgantown, Berks County. Juvenile sentences are indefinite and must be reviewed several times a year.

While the juvenile court will only have jurisdiction over Casio until his 21st birthday, prosecutors can petition the court before that date to have him held in a locked facility for sex offenders while he is an adult, until he is deemed no longer a danger to the community.

Banach warned Casio about that possibility in court Wednesday, noting that she is involved with a similar case in which a former juvenile remains detained at age 29. She told him to work hard on his treatment so he can someday return to the community.

As part of the sentence, Banach banned Casio from having any contact with the victim or her family.

Both Chief Deputy District Attorney Matthew Falk and defense attorney Gavin Holihan told the judge they were in agreement with the recommended sentence.

"He's a kid who has a lot of issues to resolve, and hopefully he'll get the help he needs," Holihan said after the hearing.

While most juvenile court proceedings are closed to the public, certain hearings may be open when the juvenile is over the age of 14 and the offense is a felony.

School district solicitor John Freund released the following statement after the hearing:

"The school district is pleased that the court proceedings have moved on with such alacrity. Our most overriding concern is the safety of our students. We work constantly to insure that students are able to learn in an environment free from fear of abuse and intimidation. Just like any large complicated institution, schools striving for a perfect environment in an imperfect world are always engaged in a work in progress. But, it is a work we are making progress in."

In early May, the family of a first-grade student filed a lawsuit that claims the boy was sexually assaulted in a bathroom at Allentown's Jefferson Elementary School. The suit alleges the May 2013 attack happened because school officials failed to follow rules put in place as part of a settlement over abuse at another elementary school a decade ago.

In that case, Freund earlier told The Morning Call the incident was thoroughly investigated and properly handled.